BJP talks to Gujjar leaders but also keeps channels open with Meenas

New Delhi, Jun 4 (UNI) As Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has engaged Gujjar community leaders in talks, the BJP today said the government was keeping the channels open with the Meena community also who were opposed to granting Scheduled Tribe status to Gujjars.

According to reports received at BJP headquarters Rajasthan remained incident free and Chief Minister was having second round of discussions with the 11 member Gujjar delegation led by Col Baisla in the post lunch discussions. "Our effort is to reduce tensions at the same time maintain social balancing without hurting the genuine interests of any single community and the state government has the responsibility of taking everyone along", BJP Spokesman Ravishankar Prasad said.

He said an all party delegation of Gujjar community consisting of two Congress MPs Sachin Pilot, Avtar Singh Badhana and former MP Rama Pilot of the Congress party and senior BJP members, Bahujan Samaj Party met BJP President Rajnath Singh where they sought Rajasthan Government to find an early resolution to the Gujjar demand "Our President heard them patiently and assured that the state government would make all efforts to consider their demand in the right spirit but at the same time he requested them to cooperate to restore peace and order in the state", he said.

The leaders went on to call on Congress President Sonia Gandhi after their meeting with Singh yesterday but had to return empty handed as she was unable to meet her.

The inclusion of Gujjar community into the ST list is 'long and arduous' and the Rajasthan Government has very little role excepting to send detailed report on the status of the community in terms of various social data including their geographical isolation by the District Magistrates.

Once the state government sends the report, the ball shifts to the Centre's court where it has to get the approval of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, ST Commission and Registrar General of Census. Any objection by any of these can bring the process to a grinding halt.

After this stage it goes before the Parliament where it has to get the approval of two thirds majority support in both Houses.

UNI